Purple Fire
by Bleeding Rainbows of Memories
Summary: When Prince Zuko has trouble finding crew members, Captain Zhao just so happens to know of a prisoner who can go with them. Can Zuko and Iroh find out what this broken child did to anger the Fire Nation, can they find out who beat her up? Can they discover her dark secret before it eats them alive? Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or anything related to it. Rated T for violence.
1. Recruits

**Okay, I know several of you are mad at me because I took down my stories.**

**BUT! I have reasons**

**~ First off, I **_**really**_** can't handle a crossover right now. I'm not ready.**

**~Second off, I was reading them the other day… and I've realized how bad it reads… you have no idea how sorry I am, but I can't help it.**

**Again really, really sorry… please find it in your spin-off loving hearts to forgive me.**

**Another thing, I'm going to try and keep my updating schedule consistent.**

**I want to get at least one chapter up each week, okay?**

**I think that's everything if you have any questions or concerns please leave a review and I'll try and get back to you as soon as possible.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or anything related to it.**

_Chapter 1: Recruits_

The young and recently banished Fire Prince had looked on, with rapt attention, as his ship pulled into one of the Fire Nations naval strongholds. His father had told him that one of the officers at that particular stronghold knew of someone who would go with him on his search for the Avatar.

So, of course, he hadn't asked any questions as to why these people were coming with them, he assumed, in his naivety that they actually wanted to help him.

He was wrong.

This _recruit_, if you could even call them that, was a girl no older than he was; wrists and ankles in chains, purple bruises like deadly violets sprung all over her arms and legs, her hair was a knotted mess. She was on her knees in front of them, shaking.

"Captain Zhao," Iroh began, staring aghast at the sickly thin form on the floor at their feet. "This girl is a child, why did the Fire Lord say that she is to be coming with us?"

Zhao grinned maliciously, Zuko couldn't be sure, but his nose looked bent, like it had been broken. "She is a traitor to the Fire Nation, and we can't have traitors. And besides," Zhao turned toward a map on the wall nonchalantly. "Maybe, she'll be of help to you, she's a tough one."

Zuko knew, that traitors of the Fire Nation had to be punished, but what had this girl even done, she looked so terrified of them, too young to be put through this, he almost didn't want her to come with them. Almost.

"What did she do?" Zuko asked, still gawking at the girl.

"She refused an Admirals order, and attacked several soldiers." Zhao walked back over to them again. "Pet, in the civilized world, people tell each other their name." He spoke with malice. As he ran a hand through her tangled hair, the girl shivered.

"Xia." She spoke so softly Zuko almost couldn't hear what she said.

"We also look people in the eye when we talk to them!" Zhao scolded and yanked her hair back so her face was facing them.

The Fire Prince felt his heart stop.

Her face was covered with more bruises, she had a bloody nose, a black eye, and there were several small scratches covering her tear stained face. Her eyes were open, and in those melted chocolate basins he could see so many emotions: Anger, strife, bitterness, worry, sadness, and deeply hidden fear.

When he couldn't see her eyes, Zuko thought she was the most defeated person he had ever seen, but she wasn't. Outwardly she was dying, but mentally she was strong.

"Xia." She spoke softly, but still with a hidden strength. "My name is Xia."

Zhao and his soldiers escorted them back to Zuko's ship. They released Xia's shackles, and Lieutenant Jee showed the young girl to where she would be staying while she was on this ship.

"Keep an eye on her, General Iroh." Zhao said, eyes following Jee and Xia's retreating backs. "She's got a lot of power, and without strict discipline, she will destroy you all."

"I think we can handle her." Zuko spoke, not believing that _that girl_ could destroy them.

He was still wrong.

Xia couldn't believe it; she was finally free of that prison… and the jerk that kept beating her bloody.

Sure, her gate to freedom was a suicide mission with a banished prince who had a stupid haircut and was obsessed with his honor, but, still.

What did she have to lose?

The crewmembers on this ship stared at her, of course, she was a dirty, beaten prisoner, and they were immaculate, strong soldiers.

But she had to do this, for her family's sake. Okay, they weren't all her family, they just, raised her, and her brother, whose name she couldn't remember since their parents died, when the Fire Nation raided her village of Kwisha on a small island far to the east of the Fire Nation, in the Earth Kingdom.

Their island wasn't special, some trees, some animals, and several huts.

Normal, right? WRONG!

Some people on that island had strange abilities, like bending, but not normal bending; it was formidable, primitive, and disorderly.

The kind of bending that couldn't be controlled.

_You wanna know what tastes better than virtual chocolate chip cookies?_

_Reviews and virtual chocolate chip cookies. (:.)(.:)(::) _

_~Memories_


	2. Wounds

**Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!**

**Have some cookies. (:.)(.:)(::)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar or anything related to it.**

_Chapter 2: Wounds_

Xia tried to force the memories of her old home away as she entered her new prison cell. It was nice, with a desk, bed and bathroom, but everything was red.

She didn't use to have any problems with red, red was the color of the sunrise; red was the color of the Red Panda Dog she used to have as a pet, before the Fire Nation, now she hated red.

Red killed her parents. Red separated her from her brother. Red ruined her life.

But red also gave her a second chance. Hunting the last chance for the world of peace, but she had no choice.

"There are fresh clothes and boots on the bed." The lieutenant spoke, not looking at her.

"Thank you, sir." She muttered as he closed the door and walked away.

Now, to make herself not look like a mess…

"What is Zhao thinking, sending a child to help me!?" Zuko yelled, walking back and forth on the deck while his uncle watched.

"That child, Prince Zuko, is the same age as you. And your father is sending you to do this. How is it any different?" The Retired General leaned against the edge of the boat.

"My honor depends on me finding the Avatar, she" He jerked his head in the direction where the girl had went. "Has no honor."

"Maybe she lost something more important than her honor." A voice sounded from the doorway.

"What could she have lost that's more important than my honor, Lieutenant?" Zuko turned to face the white haired man.

"The girl was covered in bruises and cuts, maybe her freedom? Zhao did say she was a prisoner." _And believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around you._

"When you see the kid, tell her I need to talk to her." Zuko said, turning toward the front of the battleship.

As Xia stared at her reflection in the mirror, she was reminded of everything she had gone through over the past few weeks.

A bruise for not looking Zhao in the eye.

A cut for her disregard.

A bloody nose for mockery.

A black eye for blowing raspberries toward him.

She was broken, inside and out, even though she tried to deal with it, she couldn't.

The nightmares didn't help, sometimes she was being beaten by her abuser, sometimes she was watching her family die, sometimes it was what happened to her brother after she was taken to prison, she assumed the Fire Nation had put him on the front lines, even though he couldn't bend. He would be thirteen now, like her.

Sometimes she wondered what would happen if she hadn't punched Zhao in the nose, her brother would have been forcibly scripted into the Fire Nation Army, not that he wouldn't still be, but at least she had bought him some time.

Sometimes she just wished that it all end.

But she couldn't think about that now, she had been able to clean herself up, her dark hair was no longer tangled, and now laid flat against her back in swooping waves, her skin, despite being covered in purple rosettes and scratches, was no longer covered in dead skin and sweat, and despite her strong dislike for the color, the clothes were suitable, but the boots were a bit big though.

She'd have to do something about that… like fill the boots with paper. Or say something to Jee, when he was in a good mood. The Fire Prince terrified her, as did the General.

The Fire Prince just seemed so angry.

And she'd heard the stories about the Dragon of the West.

_Knock knock._

She walked toward the door. "Yes?"

"Prince Zuko would like to speak with you on deck." It was Lieutenant Jee; at least he spoke to her with a civilized tongue, unlike Zhao and his soldiers.

She opened the door and stepped out, the Lieutenant surveyed her. "Everything fit okay?"

"The boots are a bit large." She said, shaking her foot.

"I'll see if I can find some smaller ones."

"Really? Thanks, I'd appreciate it." She gave him a small smile, despite the fact that he couldn't see it; since he was leading her back toward the deck. Even if she didn't like these people she had to try and stay on their good side, and smaller boots really would help. Plus, he seemed as though he genuinely cared.

"Hey, I don't want to be on this goose chase any more than you do."

"I want to be here." She spoke softly, for fear of angering the one person who seemed to care.

"Well, in your situation I guess I would to, how long were you in prison, kid?" He glanced back at her.

"About four years."

He whistled. "What did you do to get four years imprisonment at nine?"

"Oh well, I-" They reached the deck and she stopped. "Tell you later."

They walked toward the Fire Prince and General; Lieutenant Jee bowed when the pair looked up, then he left.

Xia could finally see the Prince's face clearly; there was a bandage over his left eye, and a shaven head except for a ridiculous ponytail. His face was impassive as he glared at her.

"Yes?" she asked them, quietly, she didn't know him, he might throw her in the ocean for all she knew.

"My dear, may I inquire your name?" General Iroh spoke kindly, seeing her plain discomfort.

"Xia, sir." She looked down at her boots.

"And how are you feeling Xia?"

"Fine, sir."

"What can you do?" The Fire Prince interjected.

"Oh," What could she do? "I really don't know, sir."

"I'm sure we'll find something for you to do." He walked away.

_Reviews for me equal virtual chocolate chip cookies for you. _

_(:.)(.:)(::) _

_~Memories_


End file.
